What Is Meant By "Works"?

Jesus + nothing = everything.

This is true. This is biblical.

Faith + nothing = everything.

This is false. This is a lie that comes from the devil, and straight from the pit of hell!

For some unknown reason, many Christians feel the need to lump all works together in the same category, then falsely convince themselves that all works are, or lead to, works-righteousness. This is the same foolishness wherewith many Christians lump commands for holiness together with legalism. It all stems from ignorance. Christians desperately need to learn the difference between works of the Law, guided by self-righteousness and the idea that such will make them right with God, and works of faith. We could also define it as a difference between works of the flesh and works of the Spirit. Remember, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that we were "created in Christ Jesus for [the purpose of] good works" (Eph. 2:10).

James asks, "What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?" (James 2:14). Many Christians would answer, "Yes," and then spout the unbiblical nonsense of "by faith alone." Thrice James answers, "faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (James 2:17), "faith without works is useless" (James 2:20c), and "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26b). How many times does he have to say it? The question Christians need to be asking, instead of riding their high horse of arrogant assumption, is: What kind of works is James talking about here?

Some Christians will quote Romans 3:28-30 and underscore the words "man is justified by faith apart from works." They then ignorantly and arrogantly assume they have made their case. But that is not what the passage says! It says, "man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law"! Were Abraham's works "works of the Law"? The Law did not come into effect until about 300 years later! Abraham's works were works of faith—not works of the Law with which he believed would make him right with God. Were Rahab's works "works of the Law"? She was a Gentile woman! The Law meant nothing to her. Many Christians need to stop painting the aspect of works with a wide brush.

NOTE: Every verse the "by faith alone" proponent brings to the table is speaking with regard to "the Law," most of them mentioning "the Law" right there in the verse or passage.

Christian! Swallow your pride, strip yourself of your arrogant assumptions, and pay attention to what the Bible says!

Twice James tells us that Abraham was justified by his works. He also tells us that Rahab was justified by her works. You cannot ignore or escape this fact, nor can you sweep it under the rug. Is the Bible wrong for saying they were justified by their works? Did either of them believe that they would be made right with God by doing what they did? Or do we have a flawed understanding of what the Bible means here by "works"? You cannot pit verses that say "justified by faith" against these and then smugly assume these verses are canceled out and that somehow you have made your case. Especially when the verses you are attempting to quote are dealing with a contrast between faith and works of the Law. Not all works are works of the Law.

The works that Paul is contrasting with faith are the works of the Law—not works of faith (faith in action; living faith)! Observe: "a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law" (Romans 3:28); "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4); "a man is not justified by the works of the Law" (Galatians 2:16); "if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly" (Galatians 2:21); "Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?" (Galatians 3:5); "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24); "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works [of the Law], that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9); "not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ" (Philippians 3:9).

Faith never acts alone! The Bible is both clear that (1) works alone will not save you, and (2) faith alone will not save you. James made it abundantly clear that Abraham's "faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected" (James 2:22). If you want to wax theological, you can even go so far as to say his faith drove his works, but nevertheless the two were working in tandem—that is, together. His works perfected his faith. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26b). Do not ever forget that!

An example:

I am hanging mid-air from whatever (cliff, roof, tree), about to fall and hurt myself severely. You are standing below and you tell me, "Let go and I will catch you." I can earnestly and wholeheartedly believe that you will catch me with every fiber of my being, but if I do not let go, all that belief counts for nothing. It is dead faith. By letting go, my works (letting go) perfect my faith (believing that you will indeed catch me). What we truly believe is always verified by what we do, regardless of what our mouths speak.

Look carefully at the above example and note these facts:

1. Faith alone will not save. If I believe that you will indeed catch me, but I do not let go, that faith counts for nothing. It is dead faith.
2. Faith has to be coupled with works. The moment I let go, my letting go demonstrates and perfects my faith. It is living faith. Faith in action.
3. Deeper theologically, you could say that my faith in you catching me drove my works of letting go, which resulted in the perfecting of my faith. So while faith drove the works, nevertheless faith and works worked together.

Throughout the entire Bible, whenever you see instances of faith, it is inseparably linked with faith in action (i.e., works/living faith), as demonstrated by James with regard to Abraham and Rahab. To deny this is to be living in sheer ignorance. If we know from Scripture that there are two kinds of faith, and two kinds of repentance, why would we foolishly assume there is only one kind of works? Is Ephesians 2:10 saying we were created for works of the Law or legalism? Clearly not! So why do we assume that all talk regarding "works" is in regard to works-righteousness and us being right with God based on those merits?

Since every instance of faith in the Bible is inseparably accompanied by faith in action (i.e., works/living faith), it is foolish to assume that when Scripture speaks of "faith" that it merely refers to mental assent. Faith is not merely what we believe in our head and our heart, but also how we act in accordance with that belief. Genuine acceptance of the Gospel is inseparably accompanied by immediate genuine repentance and followed by continuous genuine repentance as one grows in that faith. Faith is never faith alone apart from actions! Ergo, "faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (James 2:17). When the Bible speaks of Abraham's "faith," it includes not only what he believed in his heart, but also how he acted upon that belief. This is how Paul can say he was justified by faith and how James can say he was justified by his works. The two are not contradictory. The belief in his heart alone was not enough, as James points out. He had to act upon it, the same way we do. The moment he acted, his actions perfected his belief. Belief and actions together constitute "faith." You do not believe me?

Closely examine the woman with the issue of blood (or any other instance of faith in Scripture). She believed in her heart that touching Jesus' garment would heal her (faith) and she reached out in that belief and touched His garment (works/living faith/faith in action). Jesus' words to her? "Your faith has healed you." "Faith," here, encompasses both her belief in her heart that she would be healed and her faith in action by touching the garment. How about Peter walking on water? Faith (believing it was possible) plus works of faith (stepping out on the water). How about the crippled man by the pool? Some stranger comes up to him and tells him to walk. How cruel! Faith (believing it) plus works of faith (standing up). How many passages in Scripture would you care to examine and see this pattern? I can do this all day if you would like. You see this everywhere in Scripture!

Justification is never by faith alone. Abraham did not simply believe God, he acted upon that belief. His action perfected his belief. His action made his belief real. This is how Paul can say he was justified by faith and how James can say he was justified by his works. Faith and works (faith in action) always go hand-in-hand. They are inseparable! It is that simple. It does not matter what aspect of faith you are looking at, it is all the same. Genuine faith of any kind requires some sort of action to go along with it. If you have faith that God is calling you to missions somewhere, you actually have to step out in that faith and go. Otherwise, you can believe it all you want and nothing is ever going to happen. If you have faith that I will catch you if you fall, you need to actually let go so that you can fall and I can catch you. Otherwise, by not letting go you are holding on to a form of self-righteousness. If you have faith in the Gospel of Christ Jesus and Him crucified, there will be repentance present.

The Christian's life is to be one of living faith—faith in action, living out what we say we believe. What we believe will always be seen in and by our actions. Our words may profess one belief while our actions reveal our true belief. What we truly believe is always verified by what we do, regardless of what our mouths speak.

Example #1: Your mouth speaks that you believe that God is in control of all things, yet you constantly worry about everything. You say you believe that God is in control over all things, but your actions prove that is not what you believe.

Example #2: Your mouth speaks that you believe God sees everything you do, hears everything you say, and knows everything you think. Yet, your actions prove that is not what you truly believe. If it were, you would be conscious of the way you act (in public or in private), the way you speak, and what you let your thoughts dwell on.

If our works stem from a desire to be right with God, or a belief that they will make us right with God, then we are guilty of self-righteousness and works-righteousness. If our works stem from faith, then they are examples of living faith and they are the works we were created for. When I speak of "works," I do not speak of the heresy of works that save us or keep us saved, which are the "works of the Law" that Paul was condemning: "If I do this, or if I do this enough, I'll be good with God." I speak of the works of living faith, faith in action. It is these works that are always present with faith, it is these works that perfect faith, and it is these works that we were created for. Not the works of the Law!

I hope this blog entry has set several people straight and opened their eyes to the truth of Scripture, providing they are humble enough to get off their high horse of arrogant assumptions based on religious tradition. As I said before, so say I again:

It does not matter what traditions we hold to, it does not matter what system of theology we follow, it does not matter what denomination we belong to, we must compare all teachings with the Scriptures and hold the Scriptures as the only authority. I agree with most of Reformed theology, the doctrines of grace, and the five solas, but where they do not agree with Scripture, we need to reject tradition and conform our beliefs to the Word of God. Reformed theology, the doctrines of grace, and the five solas are not infallible. Any true student of the Word, a Berean at heart, understands this and will subject these, and all systems of theology, to the scrutiny of the Word of God. How we were raised, what we were taught, and what we believe must conform to Scripture. Otherwise we are blind, ignorant, disobedient, rebellious fools.

Remember, the works James is speaking of are not works that a person can say, "If I do this, I'll be good with God." The works James is speaking of are those that naturally accompany genuine faith. They must accompany faith for that faith to be real and so that faith can be perfected. Otherwise, that faith is empty, meaningless, and dead. It is as simple as that.

Genuine Faith and Repentance

Genuine faith produces fruit. Fake faith does not.

Genuine Repentance consists of:

1. Recognition of sin
2. Sorrow for sin
3. Shame for sin
4. Confession for sin
5. Forsaking of sin
6. Hatred of sin

All 6 must be present for genuine repentance. 

WHAT IS REPENTANCE?

by George Everard

 

"I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father." Luke 15:18-20

Notice the spirit of deep self-abasement in the resolution which the prodigal made.

True repentance is intensely personal. The prodigal felt it was his own sin. "I have sinned!" He can scarcely see any sin but his own. He sees his own sin in the very worst colors. Study the fifty-first Psalm. See how David again and again speaks. It is my transgression, my iniquity, my sin ever before me.

True repentance beholds the wrong done to God by sin. The prodigal felt that his sin was primarily against God. It was a breach of His holy law. It was opposition to His holiness. It was sin against His goodness, and against redeeming love. So David cries in his bitter sorrow, forgetting for the moment the wrong he had done to Uriah--in the far greater wrong which his sin had done to God: "Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight!"

True repentance makes no excuses. The prodigal seeks for no palliation, no covering, no cloak. He says nothing of the circumstances which led him to do evil, or of companions who had drawn him aside. He does not attempt to shift the burden from his own shoulders to that of others. He makes no self-justifying pleas--he has too much sorrow, too much true brokenness of spirit, to desire or attempt it. One thing, and one thing only, he sees--his own terrible fall, and his own exceeding guilt.

True repentance takes the very lowest place. Once to be a son was not enough for him--but now he will be content even to be a slave or a hired servant! He feels utterly unworthy. As Jacob felt: "I am not worthy of all the mercies You have showed me." As the centurion felt when he sent to Jesus: "I am not worthy that You should come under my roof." So did the young prodigal esteem himself: "I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

Be sure that God delights in the humble and contrite soul.
Lift yourself up in pride and self-satisfaction--and God will assuredly cast you down.
Cast yourself down in humble confession of your sin--and God will assuredly lift you up.
"God resists the proud--but gives grace unto the humble."

But we see here the purpose of the heart accomplished. The young man not only made the resolution, but he kept it, "So he got up and went to his father." He turned his back forever on that far country and his old companions--and turned his face homeward. Doubtless it was with many a tear, with many a bitter feeling of regret for all that had passed--since in so different a spirit he had trodden that path before. Yet onward he trudges with weary heart and weary footstep, in the hope that a place may still be found for him in his father's house.

Do you ask, What is repentance? I can scarcely better describe it than from the path of this wanderer. It is turning the back . . .
   on sin,
   on the ways of the world,
   on the lusts of the flesh,
   on the service of the devil.

And it is turning the face God-ward, Heaven-ward, confessing all that is past, looking upward for grace to live holier, with one single desire--to abide in the fear and love of God.

Moral Issues Confronting Christians: Homosexuality

by Unknown

INTRODUCTION

1.  Homosexuality as an acceptable, alternative lifestyle has become more prevalent...
1. Equal rights are being granted to practice and promote the lifestyle
2. There are now gay churches, even gay priests and ministers in mainstream denominations
3. Cities and vacation resorts often cater to open display of homosexual behavior
2. It is certainly a moral issue that confronts many Christians today...
1. Some question whether it is wrong
2. Others react in ways unbecoming a Christian

(As with any moral issue, we must look to the Word of God. And so we start by asking...)

1. What Does the Bible Say?
1. In the Patriarchal Age...
1. Homosexuality led to the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah
1. The people were guilty of a "grace sin" — Gen 18:20
2. The men of the city, young and old, were involved — Gen 19:4-5
3. They are later described as "given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh" — Jude 7
2. Does not Ezekiel say their sin was lack of hospitality?
1. So say some, based on Eze 16:49
2. Sodom in Ezekiel 16 is Ammon and Moab, the offshoots from Sodom — JFB
3. Sodom in Genesis had ceased to exist nearly 1500 years before!
-- Homosexual conduct was a grave sin in the days of the patriarchs
2. In the Mosaic Age...
1. The Law of Moses made it a capital crime
1. It was an abomination, together with bestiality — Lev 18:22-23
2. It was a reason the other nations were driven out — Lev 18:24-25
3. The Israelites were warned the same could happen to them — Lev 18:26-30
4. It was a sin punishable by death — Lev 20:13
2. Remember, Jesus lived under the Law of Moses
1. It did not end until His death on the cross — Col 2:14
2. While in force, Jesus taught strict observance of the Law — Mt 5:17-19
3. Thus Jesus approved of what the Law taught about homosexuality
-- Homosexual conduct was a capital crime under the Law of Moses
3. In the Christian Age...
1. As written to the Christians in Rome — Ro 1:24-27
1. Lesbianism and homosexuality both described as "vile passions"
2. The former is "against nature," the later is "shameful"
3. Men receiving in themselves the penalty of their error (e.g., AIDS?)
2. As written to the church in Corinth — 1Co 6:9-10
1. Included in a list of sins preventing one from inheriting the kingdom of God
2. Paul uses two terms that describe homosexual conduct
1. malakos — the passive male partner in homosexual intercourse — Louw & Nida
2. arsenokoites — a male partner, possibly the active one — ibid.
3. As written to the evangelist Timothy — 1Ti 1:9-11
1. Paul again uses the term arsenokoites (men who practice homosexuality, ESV)
2. In a list of sins that are "contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel"
-- Homosexual conduct is contrary to the sound doctrine of the gospel of Christ

[The Bible is clear: throughout every dispensation, homosexual conduct like other forms of sexual immorality is clearly condemned. Yet many believe that God made them homosexual. Is that true...?]

2. What Causes Homosexuality?
1. Nature or Nurture...
1. Is homosexuality the result of one's genetics (nature)?
1. Many say "God made me this way"
1. There has been no definitive study proving homosexuality is genetic
2. News stories often fail to mention the bias of those conducting the studies
2. If God gave a person reproductive organs...
1. He made them physically for heterosexual relationships
2. Homosexual tendencies thus imply psychological issues, not physical ones
2. A study of identical twins proves that genetics alone do not account for gender preference
1. Dr. Michael Bailey of Northwestern University examined 110 pairs of identical twins who had been separated at birth and raised in different environments
2. He found that if one twin was gay there was a 52% chance the other was also
3. Note well: identical twins are genetically alike
1. If homosexuality was genetic, they would have the same gender preference
2. That 48% were not gay confirms genetics alone does not cause homosexuality
-- Nature alone does not explain homosexuality
2. Simple or Complex...
1. If homosexuality is not solely nature, is it solely nurture?
1. Many assume it is solely environmental (nurture)
2. Or that it is a simple choice of one's behavior
2. The evidence suggests a complex combination of factors
1. Some genetic factors, for example:
1. A melancholy temperament is often a common factor
2. In which one may be more predisposed to homosexuality
3. Just as other temperaments make some more prone to anger or alcoholism
2. Some environmental factors, for example:
1. Lack of healthy parental relationships (absent father, smother mother)
2. Early exposure to improper sexual activity, especially when one is insecure about their sexual identity
3. The genetic and environmental factors can often be quite diverse
1. Leading to various expressions of homosexuality (active, passive)
2. Nor do they always lead to homosexual tendency or behavior
-- Nurture alone may not explain homosexuality

[Sinful behavior is not always a simple choice, especially once one becomes enslaved to sin (cf. Jn 8:34). We who understand sin's power should certainly be sympathetic toward others. So let us ask...]

3. What Is A Christian Response?
1. To Share the Truth of the Gospel...
1. We must hold fast to the truth that is in Jesus — Ep 4:20-24
2. We must teach sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel — 1Ti 1:8-11
-- It may be politically incorrect, but we cannot compromise truth
2. To Display the Love of the Gospel...
1. We have the duty to speak the truth in love — Ep 4:15
2. Which affects how we approach those enslaved in sin — 2Ti 2:24-26
-- We must hate the sin, but we must also love the sinner
3. To Offer the Hope of the Gospel...
1. Cleansing, sanctification and justification to all — 1Co 6:9-11
2. The fruit of the Spirit to deal with the works of the flesh — Ga 5:16-25
-- No matter the form of sexual immorality, the gospel provides deliverance!

CONCLUSION

1.  Homosexuality is a volatile issue today...
1. It is a politically charged issue
2. Opposition to it is often depicted as being hateful, homophobic, narrow minded
2. The challenge confronting Christians today is how to respond...
1. Too many are indeed hateful and homophobic
2. That is wrong, and increases the likelihood of persecution

We must be faithful to the Scriptures, but we must also be faithful to the example of Jesus and His apostles, who reached out to all sinners with the display of love, the promise of forgiveness, and the hope of transformation...

Sola Fide?

(A continuation of By Faith Alone? I Don't Think So!)

What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:14-26

James quotes the exact same passage that Paul uses to support justification by faith (Rom. 4:3), but he uses it entirely differently. Before quoting the passage, James tells us, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected." After quoting the passage, James informs us, "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone." Twice, he tells us that Abraham was justified by his works. That fact cannot be escaped or ignored.

If you look through the entire Old and New Testaments where someone appears to be justified by faith alone, if you take a closer look at the story, you will see that they are also being justified by their works. Take the woman with the issue of blood, for example (Matt. 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48). On the surface, all most people see is her faith. They then attempt to build their presumptuous conclusion off Jesus' words: "Your faith has saved you." But take a closer look at the story. What do you see? You see her works saving her as well, just as James points out with regard to Abraham: "You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected." She reached out and touched his garments (works) while believing that doing so would heal her (faith). If she had merely said to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will be saved," believing it wholeheartedly, and then turned and went home having done nothing, would she have been healed? Think about it. "Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." The two were working in tandem. You will find the same with every story in Scripture.

Think of it like this: I am hanging mid-air from whatever (cliff, roof, tree), about to fall and hurt myself severely. You are standing below and you tell me, "Let go and I will catch you." I can earnestly and wholeheartedly believe that you will catch me with every fiber of my being, but if I do not let go, all that belief counts for nothing. It is dead faith. By letting go, my works (letting go) perfect my faith (believing that you will indeed catch me). What we truly believe is always verified by what we do, regardless of what our mouths speak.

John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles preached repentance (works) and belief (faith). If you preached the Gospel to me and I wholeheartedly believed every word of it, but that was it, nothing changed in the way I live, then I am still dead in my trespasses and sins and I will go to hell. If I truly believed the Gospel preached to me (faith), there will be repentance at the same time (works). If my faith in the Gospel is genuine, I will no longer do many of the things I used to once do. The evidence that I truly believed (faith) would be seen in my repentance (works), which perfects that faith. Otherwise, faith alone is dead! Other good works will inevitably follow, but there is always an initial work present with faith in order to perfect that faith, just as James said: "as a result of [Abraham's] works, [his] faith was perfected." It is never one or the other by itself. If we are justified by faith alone, then all I have to do is believe, without repentance, without any following works, without any kind of demonstration of that faith. Sadly, this is what most professing "Christians" in the church today believe. "All I need is faith. I just need to believe. I don't have to repent. I don't need to do any kind of good works. All I need to do is believe and keep that belief to myself, never letting it show."

It does not matter what traditions we hold to, it does not matter what system of theology we follow, it does not matter what denomination we belong to, we must compare all teachings with the Scriptures and hold the Scriptures as the only authority. I agree with most of Reformed theology, the doctrines of grace, and the five solas, but where they do not agree with Scripture, we need to reject tradition and conform our beliefs to the Word of God. Reformed theology, the doctrines of grace, and the five solas are not infallible. Any true student of the Word, a Berean at heart, understands this and will subject these, and all systems of theology, to the scrutiny of the Word of God. How we were raised, what we were taught, and what we believe must conform to Scripture. Otherwise we are blind, ignorant, disobedient, rebellious fools.

Dishonest and Deceptive Christians

If you are going to speak against or debate a position different from your own, you need to represent that position honestly and convey it truthfully with integrity. In other words, you need to study that position to make sure you understand correctly what it is they teach and believe in order to ensure you represent their position truthfully and honestly. If you are merely going to make statements that condemn a position based on your dislike thereof, and make those statements in ignorance and dishonesty, misrepresenting the other position, then you are merely lying to your hearers and leading them astray by your deceptions. I will give you an example:

"A hyper-Calvinist believes that everything is predestined and thus God, they have no problem saying, is the author of sin. A hyper-Calvinist believes that predestination and foreknowledge are the same thing; what God predestines He divinely decrees and thus they believe in what we call double predestination. That God has elect and chosen some to be saved, and others He has chosen to be damned, and God gets the glory. A hyper-Calvinist believes that invitations are an insult to God. That predestination is the highest of all doctrine."

—Ergun Caner

This is typical of how cults and most Arminianist-based faiths debate, how they attack positions different from their own. Without a correct and proper understanding of what the other position believes, they just make up a bunch of absurd nonsense in order to deceive their hearers into thinking they are teaching the truth. They demonize the other positions without dealing with them fairly, justly, honestly, or truthfully. Cults are well known for doing this so that they can keep their numbers up and their members confused. The above quote is chock full of fallacious statements deliberately meant to misrepresent his concept of Calvinism or hyper-Calvinism.

Not only is everything Mr. Caner says above incorrect, proving he knows nothing about hyper-Calvinism and could not be bothered to study it, but he interchanges Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism throughout his entire sermon. Not only that, but his attempts at explaining the Greek deliberately avoid and ignore the context as well as other passages of Scripture that use the same words. He attempts the typical ignorance in explaining the word "all," the word "world," and the word "whosoever," all the while making fallacious accusations in regard to those who exegete and interpret these words correctly according to their contexts. Dave Hunt plays the same fast and loose games with the texts, making the same fallacious accusations.

People like Ergun Caner and Dave Hunt would do well to educate themselves by reading this blog entry and this blog entry, two letters to two different groups of people.

Arminianists and non-Reformed (people who do not fit the full definition of Arminianism) like to camp out on certain verses that use "all," "world," and "whosoever." If they were true students of the Word, they would look those words up in their original Greek to see what precisely they mean, while also looking up their occurrence elsewhere in Scripture. These people like to say that "all means all and that's all that all means," and that the word "world" is inclusive of "each and every individual without exclusion." What do these people do with Romans 5:18? "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." Unless you are a Universalist, the second "all" cannot mean "each and every individual without exception."

Let us look at some other problems for these people. Romans 7:8a: "But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness." There is a limitation on the word "all." Romans 8:32: "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" Does this mean God is going to give us divine powers? I mean, if all means all... Romans 11:32: "For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all." Again, unless you are a Universalist, all cannot mean "each and every individual without exception." Romans 14:2: "One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only." Can he eat a rock? 1 Timothy 4:10: "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." A very Arminianist commentary, by I. Howard Marshall and Philip H. Towner, had this to say: "Adoption of the traditional translation of malista (μαλιστα) as 'especially' leads to some strange exegesis. These problems disappear if we accept the other possible translation: 'to be precise, namely, I mean.' 'All' is thus limited here to believers."¹ 1 Timothy 4:15: "Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all." Did each and every individual on this planet without exception see Timothy's progress? Of course not!

Emotional ignorance is no excuse for poor exegesis and bad study habits. In fact, villainizing the other position as Ergun Caner has done, and as Dispensationalists frequently do, whether intentionally through deception or out of sheer ignorance and laziness, is not only dishonest but cowardly. Whatever our presuppositions, we need to approach Scripture openly, honestly, and with great humility, so that if it teaches something contrary to what we believe we might humble ourselves and conform our beliefs to the truth of the text. If one says, "Yeah, that's what the text teaches, but I don't accept it," that is fine. At least they are being honest. But when they purposefully ignore what the text says and lie about it, that is an entirely other matter. Misrepresenting the other position by setting them up so you can easily knock them down is dishonest. Unfortunately, and sadly, there are many professing Christians who will deliberately lie about certain information in order to try and make their case. If you have to be dishonest, then you have won nothing and proven nothing. You have only proven you are a liar who cannot play fair. I do not like it when professing atheists do it, and I like it even less coming from those who profess to know Christ Jesus.

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¹ This quote was not copied directly from the book, but written down by my own hand from hearing the reading of the quote from the book by James R. White. Exact rendition thereof may appear entirely different.

Questions For Potential Suitors

from Wretched

We are not barbarians. Dads should not threaten a potential suitor with a fire-arm. At least not a loaded fire-arm. But that doesn’t mean a Dad shouldn’t put the young man on the hot seat.

Below are some questions that may help you determine if a young man will have access to your daughter. Your mileage may vary. Start with #30.

1. Share your salvation testimony.
2. What is the Gospel?
3. Share the most recent Bible verse you have memorized.
4. Can you recite all 66 books of the Bible in order? Try.
5. How often do you read your Bible?
6. When was the last time you read your Bible?
7. Tell me about your participation in your local church.
8. Can you recite the Nicene Creed for me?
9. If you are a virgin, why? If you are not a virgin, tell me what you have learned.
10. Tell me everything you know about the Protestant Reformation.
11. What is your approach to protect your sexual purity as well as my child's?
12. What Scripture verses guide your interactions with the opposite sex?
13. Explain your doctrinal views on the Bible, the Trinity, salvation, the Church.
14. What Bible verses are presently the most challenging in your personal walk with Christ?
15. Where is he convicting you now?
16. How has God grown you as a Christian over the last year?
17. Do you agree with that plan? Are you following that plan?  
18. What do you believe is God's plan for premarital relationships with the opposite sex?
19. Is your conscience clean before the Lord in your dealing with my child?
20. Have you crossed those boundaries in your relationship with my child?
21. What are the boundaries that you have set in order to maintain purity?
22. How would you describe the role of the husband in marital relationships?
23. Do you see issues or concerns in this area?
24. What is the role of your parents after marriage?
25. Have you discussed this area with my child?
26. What are your thoughts regarding children?
27. When was the last time you looked at pornography?
28. Do you have the ability to provide for my daughter? If not, what is your plan?
29. What is your theology of financial stewardship?
30. Tell me about your little brothers and sisters.

User-Friendly Nonsense

Even though it is not my intention to offend anyone with this article, I know that I am going to step on some toes. It is unavoidable. But I am in no way attempting to judge anyone. The purpose of this article is meant to have people look at the bigger picture and to have them examine themselves to see what kind of insignificant things they have placed as concerns and/or priorities in life and/or ministry that really have no importance at all. We live in a time of convenience and comfort and sometimes get sucked into it, having unreal expectations. Read on and you will see what I mean.

Since when did the pulpit one preaches the Gospel from become an inconvenience? Since when did it require comfort for the preacher? Since when was it a necessity to be user-friendly? Last I checked, the mandate was to preach the Gospel. There was nothing in there about comfort and user-friendliness.

Do we ever read or hear of anything where Martin Luther complained that his pulpit was not "user friendly"? Did John Calvin ever complain that his pulpit was not "user friendly"? How about John Wesley? What about George Whitefield? Jonathan Edwards? Surely Charles Spurgeon complained that his pulpit was not "user friendly." No? So why is that an issue with preachers today?

If these great preachers of the past were alive today, and heard about preachers complaining that their pulpit was not user friendly for all who spoke from it, what do you suppose they would have to say about it? I am certain that I do not have to tell you because I think you already know...

Where Does Morality Come From?

A man I work with, after telling him that we do not get our morality from animals, in a conversation regarding homosexuality, said that we do not get it from a book written two thousand years ago either. This is an area that is a huge problem for fools like him. People like him want to think and/or believe that morals are relative. If that is the case, if morals are determined by you and I, then what is right and wrong? If morals are relative, determined by the individual, then what if my morals say it is okay to rape and murder your daughter? If morals are something we determine ourselves and do not come from a book written two thousand years ago, or from someone outside of us, then by what right can you judge me and say I did wrong by raping and murdering your daughter? You cannot!

This is what post-modern stupidity looks like, saying that there is no absolute truth and that truth is just relative to the individual.

The fact of reality is that morality comes from Someone outside of us. That Someone is God, and He wrote that morality down for us in a book. That book is called the Bible. Without the morality contained in that book, we would be left to ourselves and we would do whatever seemed right in our own eyes: raping and murdering someone's daughter, for example. Morality did not come from evolution. It did not come from society getting together and agreeing on certain things. Morality is intrinsically written upon our hearts by the Creator. We know what is right and wrong, what is true and false, but choose to suppress it in unrighteousness. We do not want to be caught having done something we know we should not have done, so we lie, even though we know intrinsically that lying is morally wrong.

So, yes, morality does come from the Bible, which was given to us by the Creator. Because He is holy and perfect, He determines what is or is not moral. We had no say in the matter and we have no say in the matter. If God did not set the standards of morality, then mankind would be left to themselves and men would do whatever was right in their own eyes. The system of right and wrong would be determined by each individual, which means if you sneezed in my direction I could lawfully kill you for it. Be thankful the Bible makes morality clearly known to men, because without it we would be more wicked than we already are.

Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum

Once again, Christmas time is upon us. As per usual, millions of people will be celebrating this day with numerous theological errors. Let us face it, most Christmas carols are rooted in tradition rather than theological accuracy. While there is nothing wrong with listening to and enjoying these songs, we need to remember that we do not receive our theological beliefs from Christmas carols, Christmas pageants, or any other such things. Our theological beliefs must come from Scripture alone. Traditions and inaccuracies do not take away from our enjoyment of these songs, but we do need to be aware of them and make sure they do not creep into our theology and the practical application thereof. Let us face it, we can say we believe one thing, but our actions demonstrate what it is that we truly believe.

The ironic thing here is that while the world hates Christ Jesus and wants nothing to do with Him or His children, they sing along with these songs on the radio without paying a single piece of mind to what the lyrics are saying and what they mean. They have never given it any thought. Probably because they are incapable of such thought, but I digress. So, let us observe a few of the inaccuracies that exist in our Christmas carols.

1. Scripture says absolutely nothing about there being only three wise men; it merely mentions three gifts, all of which had to do with burial rites (Matt. 2:1-12). Not to mention that the wise men were not at the nativity scene; they showed up when the child was around two years of age (Matt. 2:11, 16).
2. The herald angels did not sing anything; one angel made a proclamation and then a host of angels spoke, "Glory to God in the highest" (Luke 2:8-14).
3. It is extremely doubtful that the nativity scene was silent; "No crying He makes?" Really?!? One wonders if the author had ever been around a newborn baby before. Maybe the author presumed that because He was God, He would not cry. Whatever the reason, Scripture tells us that He was like us (Heb. 2:17; 4:15) and that He cried (John 11:35).
4. There was no little boy with a drum—anywhere in the narrative.
5. "Joy To the World" is actually about the return of Christ at the end of the age to usher in eternity—not about His birth.

Christmas time is celebrated incorrectly every year by millions of Christians. While we have the freedom in Christ to celebrate or not celebrate Christmas however we choose, there is consistently one prevailing thing missing from both sides of this pendulum: the true meaning of Christmas, and Who and what it is we ought to be celebrating. God Almighty sent His only begotten Son in the form of human flesh to dwell among us in order that He might save His people from their sins. That is the true meaning of Christmas. The Gospel of Christ Jesus. If we are not celebrating this fact, we might as well not be celebrating anything at all because we have become like the heathen.

The true meaning of Christmas: God Almighty sent His only begotten Son in the form of human flesh to dwell among us in order that He might save His people from their sins.

While Jesus was not born on December 25, and while we should be celebrating this every day of the year, when we celebrate it on December 25 it should be that much more special to us and hold that much more of a place in our hearts and minds than it currently does. In light of the true meaning of Christmas, perhaps many of us would like to re-think how we celebrate it each year and make sure we are actually doing so in remembrance of His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Let us remove the idolatry and adultery from our celebration and center our celebration around the true meaning of Christmas—the Gospel. Whether or not you have a tree, hang decorations, or exchange gifts is secondary to what you need to be doing. Let us celebrate Christmas right!

Deitiphobia

Simply put, homosexuals are Deitiphobes. Not only them, but also those who accept and support them. Deitiphobia is the fear of God. Not the fear they should have, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever" (Psalm 111:10), "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10), but the fear of knowing precisely Who He is, what He wants from us, and submitting and conforming to His will.

Realistically, however, every non-believer is Deitiphobic. You try to talk to them about God and they will have none of it. Yet, they will try and treat "science" as if it is a god. Science this, science that. Even though it is a fact that science cannot explain everything. There are hundreds of things science cannot explain and never will be able to. Science is not the end-all be-all. Science is only science if it adheres to the scientific method. The moment it goes beyond that, it ceases to be science. Period!

I had one guy at work tell me he will not believe anything regarding natural medicine until he has seen the scientific data in support for it based on the scientific method. (I am not talking about those Old Wives' Tales "Home Remedies," but about actual Natural Medicine.) I was tempted to point out the hypocrisy in his statement by asking him if he has ever seen the scientific data in support of all "modern medicine" based on the scientific method. The answer is clearly "No," but he has a bias. He is exercising blind faith in "modern medicine" because it professes "science" behind it. There is a place for doctors and medicine, just as there is a place for natural medicine. One needs to be wise and do their research to know when which is which. It is not good to rely solely on natural medicine and it is not good to rely solely on "modern medicine." "Modern medicine" is not all it is cracked up to be. People would do well to open their eyes and pay attention to the sordid past that "science" and medicine have. There is a reason it is called "practicing medicine," because what they think they know today will be proven wrong tomorrow. Even today, "modern medicine" does as much harm as it does good. But we are off topic.

Homosexuals and those who support them like to try and call Christians and anyone who disagrees with their choice a "homophobe." Likewise, many people will try and call anyone who exposes the truth regarding Islam an "Islamophobe." I think it is high time we cast the die back at their own teeth by correctly identifying them as Deitiphobes. Of the three terms, the only one that holds any truth behind it is Deitiphobia. The other two are merely manipulative terms concocted as a means to try and silence the truth from those opposed to them.

It is rather ironic how the people behind both fallacious terms, "homophobe" and "Islamophobe," have the exact same character, mentality, and agenda against Christians: "Convert! Or lose everything!" In the Middle East, that is the ultimatum from Islam toward Christians. In North America, that is the ultimatum from the LGBT toward Christians. And who is falsely accused of being guilty of "hate" crimes? People need to wake up and open their eyes and take a closer look at the behaviour and actions of the homosexual community if they want to see what real hate crimes look like. Unfortunately, a great number of people in society have been emotionally manipulated and brainwashed into ignoring their common sense and logic in order to support the fallacious and illogical arguments of the LGBT community. Demonstrates how much of their brain they actually put to use...